


Finding Comfort

by RhinkTilTheEnd



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: College, College Rhett and Link, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 06:57:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhinkTilTheEnd/pseuds/RhinkTilTheEnd
Summary: It's Rhett and Links first night in the dorm. Link is really nervous about this new chapter in their lives, but luckily his best friend is always by his side.





	Finding Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to BloodBros, ohhherewegoagain, and giraffex on Tumblr for reading and giving me tips on this and for giving me the confidence to actually post it.

This night is different. Sure they've had plenty of sleepovers in their twelve years of friendship, but living together is something new entirely. Tomorrow is their first day at NCU and while Rhett seems cool, calm and collected, Link is a nervous wreck. But at least he has his best friend by his side.

Link looks at his taller friend, trying to pick up any hint of worry in his expression as he puts the sheets on the bed he’ll be sleeping in for the next four years.

"I don't know how you do it, brother," Link starts, putting his folded clothes in a drawer.

"Do what?" Rhett hums.

"Act so calm about all this. It's our first night on our own and you don't have a care in the world."

"I wasn't an only child like you, so I wasn't babied," Rhett raises an eyebrow, waiting for Link's rebuttal.

"Don't give me that crap man," Link rolls his eyes. "Are you not worried at all about this? What if we flunk out? What if we can't afford to eat?"

Rhett shrugs "Guess I'm coming into this with an open mind. You gotta relax a little brother. Come fix up your bed, "Rhett says, patting the top bunk.

"Who decided you get the bottom bunk anyway?"

"I'm taller so I get to pick first."

"Oh, whatever man," Link grins, grabbing his bag that has his blankets and pillows. "You're just lucky I'm not scared of heights."

The two of them finish unpacking their room with laughter and loud singing to help pass the time. This all seems natural, normal even, and it helps Link _almost_ forget about that nagging feeling he's had since they stepped foot in their dorm. 

_Aleast it's almost time for bed, maybe this horrible feeling will go away, Link thinks to himself_.

"Alright Rhett, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives. We should get some shut-eye," Link says trying to convince himself more than anything.

Rhett agrees and turns off the light. "Gnight, bo."

"Gnight."

Link sinks under his covers. They still smell like home and he can find some comfort in that, _hopefully_. 

By now it's the middle of the night and Link still hasn't managed to fall asleep. _I'm being dumb. We aren't that far away from home. Everything will work out. I won't fail, Rhett won't fail,_ he repeats in his head trying to comfort himself. He continues tossing and turning, not finding any comfort in the familiar smells of this bedding or the words he's practically drilled into his brain by now. Getting frustrated with himself, he can feel the hot tears brimming on his eyelids. _No. NO. I promised myself I wouldn't cry_. He tries to blink back the tears threatening to pour over. It's no use, a tear streams down his cheek and he's been defeated. He lets more tears fall as he just tries to focus on not being too loud. _This is so embarrassing. Rhett can not find out about this._ He burrows down underneath his blankets, crying softly into his pillow. _Get ahold of yourself. It's just college. I can do this._ He sighs a little too loud and holds his breath hoping that wasn't enough to wake Rhett up. _But what if I hate it? What if I can't find some passion in engineering? What if Rhett and I grow apart and he finds new friends? What if everything changes?_

Link can feel his heart thumping in his chest, these thoughts never seem to end. Everything that could go wrong in college has already gone wrong in his own mind. He can't take this silence eerily creeping in but Rhett is asleep and Link would be too embarrassed to wake him up for this. 

Link takes a deep breath to steady his breathing "Rhett?" He whispers.

Seconds pass by.

"Yeah?" Rhett whispers back.

Link can feel his face flushing hotter than before. He didn't plan on him answering back and now he's stuck either coming up with some excuse as to why he's saying his name at three in the morning or come clean and live with the embarrassment.

"I- I'm having a panic attack." He blurts out so fast he wasn't even sure Rhett heard him correctly.

_ Stupid stupid stupid why did I tell him that?_

"Are you...crying?" 

_Had it been that obvious? Can he actually hear that in my voice or is he just guessing?_

"No." He lies, sheepishly.

"Whatever, I can hear it in your voice. Come down here. Let me see your face."

"I don't want to."

"Link."

"No just forget it. I'm sorry I woke you."

Rhett sighs and rolls out of bed to peek at Link in the top bunk. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about," he says softly. "Turn around and look at me please." 

Reluctantly, Link turns around and is met with his best friend's worried expression.

"I'm fine. Really."

"You've been crying," Rhett says as he reaches up to wipe a tear off Link's stubbly cheek. "Why don't you come down here and we can talk it out? Would that help you?" 

Link nods, almost childlike and climbs down to Rhett's bed.

"I feel really bad about this."

"I'm not going to let you suffer in silence Bo. Now tell me what's on your mind."

"Well, I'm just nervous about everything."

Link has never been one to acclimate quickly to new surroundings.

"Well, what do you mean by everything? Give me some examples."

So many things are on Link's mind, so many things he wants to say but can't. _I don't want to lose you to new, cooler friends_ is the first thought he has._ I don't want to seem clingy, I can't say that to him._

He glances at Rhett, trying to focus on the messy curls on his head.

"What if I don't like my classes? What if I find out engineering isn't for me?" Link starts slowly after thinking of something that's not about their friendship.

"That does happen sometimes. Alls you gotta do is figure out what you're interested in if you can't find any interest in engineering."

"You make it sound so easy. I want someone to be proud of me. I don't want to switch to something else." He says annoyed. He doesn't know why he's trying to fight him, Rhett does have a good point.

"Hey, don't start." Rhett leans over and tilts Link's face up by the chin, "_I _am proud of you. Don't you ever doubt that."

Links tears dissipate with every comforting word Rhett has to offer. "You've never said that before, that you're proud of me." 

_He's proud of me? Even after I woke him up crying like a baby?_

His nerves calm just hearing Rhett say those words._ I don't know what I did to deserve this man in my life, even as just a friend_.

"Didn't think it needed to be said, thought you already knew how I feel about you." 

_How I feel about you_. Link repeated that last part to himself as his face flushes. Luckily his face his already beet red from crying.

"I don't think I can sleep alone tonight."

"It's alright, these twin beds might be small but I'm bettin’ we can find a way to both fit."

"Wait. You want me to sleep in your bed with you?"

Rhett, clearly still sleepy, shrugs, "I just want you to feel better."

Link nods. _He wants me to sleep in his bed with him_.

Rhett lays down first, back to the wall and opens his arms. "Come here." 

Link crawls into his newly made spot, still warm from where Rhett had been sleeping before.

"You want to actually cuddle or...?"

"Just get comfy." 

Link lays down, burying his face in Rhett's chest. This feels familiar even though they've never cuddled like this before. Rhett has an earthy, inviting smell to him, he smells nice, familiar, comforting, he smells like what makes a house a home. _This feels exactly like home, and that's something I can find comfort in._

Link's eyes are heavy now and he drifts to sleep, in the arms of his best friend.


End file.
